What Happens When You Can’t Protect the Ones You Love?, is the title of an article written by Patrick J. Kenny, Fire Chief, Ret., and published in Fire Chief magazine in February 2008. Below are several excerpts from the article:
In May of 2004, I stood before those gathered at the annual symposium of the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association to receive their most prestigious award, that of Fire Chief of the Year. In attendance were family, friends, my officers, my wife Eileen and two of our sons Brendan and Patrick. At that same moment, my youngest son Sean was fighting a battle for his life in a drug rehabilitation center hundreds of miles away. He was not allowed to attend the event as he was days away from being released. Only a very few people in the department and practically no one in the audience that day knew the extent of Sean’s illness.
I can tell you what I felt that day of the award and continue to struggle to this day is that I was a fraud and a failure at what was my most important responsibility here on earth, being a father. I would have traded that award, while a wonderful honor, for my son being well. Frankly I would have traded my life for the same deal.
You see for some reason I was one of those people who really believed that I could “save the day”. Whether it was my family or my fire department family I could always find a solution. Tell me I couldn’t do something and then get out of my way while I proved you wrong! Sound familiar to anybody?
On June 3, 2006, Sean took his life with an intentional overdose of drugs.
This article is not intended to have you pity me or my family. We all either know of, or are experiencing, similar or worse situation in our lives and/or departments. The key is what are you doing to help those in need of psychological support including yourself?
My concern speaks to what is in place for those who suffer either from long term effects from an incident or the root of the problem has nothing to do with an emergency response, as was my situation. So let’s look at some lessons I learned that I hope can be of assistance to you.
First lesson learned is to find out if you and your department have a therapist you can turn to when faced with mental health concerns? I am talking about someone you have met, not just a name at the end of an employee assistance program business card. Make contact with that therapist and think about inviting them to come in once a year and meet with each shift. Let them meet the people in your department with the goal not to have a group therapy session but rather to get to know what exactly a firefighter does. How about offering ride time to that individual as another tool to benefit all?
Second lesson learned is you can impact how accepting the culture is in your department to deal with those battling mental health issues, whether it’s a fellow firefighter or family member. By not sharing with my department to a larger degree my struggles and that of my son I was sending the message to not talk about mental illness as if it was some dark secret and something to be ashamed of.
I have prayed to take something positive away from losing my son and so the final lesson learned is the most important and the one my son Sean taught me. Those who suffer from mental health challenges, no matter to what degree, are wonderful and courageous people. They are no more weak or responsible for their illnesses as is someone who is diagnosed with a terminal physical illness. Their disease is not something you can see like a tumor on an x-ray but it is just as real and needs support and treatment. As chief officers we must set up a system to provide help to those in need of treatment.
For more on this important topic attend Kenny’s session, May Day for Mental Health, being presented at FRI.
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Chief, thanks for sharing your personal perspective. Life Safety Initiative #13 states that “Firefighters and their families must have access to counseling and psychological support.” But we don’t hear much talk about this LSI or about mental health counseling in the fire service in general.
I’m curious what mental health resources other readers have in their departments. Do you feel that LSI #13 has been achieved?
Shannon, I personally don’t think that we have achieved LSI #13, in fact, there are still too many firefighters unaware of the 16 Initiatives…but its getting better. In Illinois, with Chief Kenny’s help, we have created a Task Force (visit us at http://www.eghillinois.org) to raise awareness about the LSI, and targeted #13 as a specific focus.
Specifically with regards to LSI #13, my department has brought in our Employee Assistance Program partners to sit and have lunch with the firefighters in hopes that there will be a trusting relationship built that encourages the use of the EAP when it is necessary. We also provide training (from the EAP) for all new firefighters so that they may be aware of the signs/symptoms of job related stress. Though our efforts need support and revision, I think it is a good start.
Ralph, that’s encouraging that your department is taking these steps; sounds like you’re on the right track. Interesting that your task force targeted #13 specifically. I see this LSI as having two parts: the first is providing such resources (ensuring they’re there when firefighters need them), and the second is changing the culture so that firefighters USE the resources when they need them.